ICYMI: Amedore TV ad to begin airing this week

Republican George Amedore is out with his first TV commercial of his 2014 run for State Senate.

The 46th district candidate’s ad focuses on his work to assist in cleanup efforts after Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, which slammed New York in 2011. Titled “George Amedore: Our Friend, Our Neighbor,” the ad features photos of then-assemblyman Amedore in blue jeans, rubber boots and a red polo shirt all caked with mud during clean-up efforts, testimonials and other stock shots.

“He was here every day, full of mud from head to toe,” says Rita Treesdale, who isn’t given a title or descriptor, at the beginning of the ad.

The ad features another post-storm testimonial from Ollie Rhimer, who also isn’t given a title.

An Amedore spokeswoman said the ad will begin airing Tuesday on cable stations in the district, which runs from Ulster County north to the heart of the Capital Region and out to Montgomery County.

The focus of the ad is on events that preceded the incredibly close battle for the seat in 2012 between Amedore and now-state Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk. Democrat Tkaczyk eventually won by 18 votes following ballot counting that lasted into January 2013.

The district has been labeled a toss-up again this year by Senate watchers. Amedore, who served in the 105th Assembly District, has largely been quiet politically for the last two years up until recently and Tkaczyk has essentially had two years of campaigning as a sitting senator. Democrats have a roughly 8,300 active voter enrollment advantage in the district despite the fact that it was drawn prior to the 2012 race to be an Amedore stronghold.

The Amedore ad doesn’t focus on his legislative record or that of Tkaczyk for that matter.

For the record, Tkaczyk also has been involved in flood assistance efforts, for which Fort Plain Mayor Guy Barton praised her Friday.

“When the floods hit Fort Plain last year, Senator Tkaczyk was here immediately, helping with our clean-up and recovery efforts,” he said in a statement. “And she kept coming back, bringing State officials, community development experts and investors with her. She said she would do all she could to help us, and she kept her word.”

Senate Democrats didn’t address Amedore’s ad directly, but were quick to slam him following the ad’s release.

“George Amedore can try to hide the truth but voters will see through his lies,” Senate Democratic spokesman Gary Ginsburg said. “The facts are simple, George’s values are way too extreme and out-of-step with those of the residents of the 46th Senate District and George has a history of supporting businesses who ship jobs overseas and standing against equal pay for equal work for all New Yorkers.”

Senate Republican spokesman Scott Reif responded with a pointed attack of his own, telling State of Politics that Tkaczyk doesn’t keep her word.

“The hardworking residents of the 46th Senate District can see with their own eyes that Cecila Tkaczyk has a habit of saying one thing and doing another, just like when she pledged not to send political mail at taxpayer expense and then went on to spend $81,000 in just six months – more than any other Democrat in the entire State Senate,” he told the blog. “Despite what her political cronies say, it’s clear that Cecilia Tkaczyk doesn’t keep her word.”

See the ad below:

Matthew Hamilton

11 Responses

“Democrats have a roughly 8,300 active voter enrollment advantage in the district despite the fact that it was drawn prior to the 2012 race to be an Amedore stronghold.”
This statement by the TU is very misleading. It sounds like the TU contends that the district lines were redrawn for the purpose of making the district a stronghold for Mr. Amedore. If that’s the case why did his opponent win the last election?
Why shouldn’t the focus of the ad center on events that took place prior to the 2012 election? That’s when Amedore was a sitting senator. The purpose of political ads is to tout a candidates beliefs and accomplishments. Then Senator Amdeore was on hand to assist in storm relief. He’s not trying to mislead the public with the ad. And best of all, he’s not bashing his opponent, as most political ads do.
The ad does not infer that Ms. Tkacyzk did not help storm victims so I don’t understand why the TU felt it necessary to state: “For the record, Tkaczyk also has been involved in flood assistance efforts, for which Fort Plain Mayor Guy Barton praised her Friday.” I wonder if the reporter called Mayor Barton specifically to obtain his quote for this article, sure sounds like it.
Here’s hoping all of Ms. Tkacyzk upcoming ads do nothing to malign her opponent and only tout her own accomplishments and her politics.
I’d like to praise BOTH candidates for their efforts on behalf of storm victims. I’d also like to remind the so called journalists at the TU that such blatant support for political candidates has no place in honest unbiased reporting of the news. But I know the editors already knew that from “Journalism 101”, they simply cannot help themselves.

Amedore was not a senator. He was an assemblyman. I remember he voted to cut state aid to schools 20% across the board – devestating to our schools. The only time he “was a sitting senator” was when he had the hubris to sit on the senate floor before the last election was settled in court, on the night Cuomo pushed through the Safe Act. Amedore was asked to not vote. He does not support women’s equality or rights – go check the record. He has big corporate donations behind his slick ads – turns my stomach. He needs to go home and be thankful for his family and business that his father built, building energy sucking McMansions.

Kid Brian is a sterling example of a GOP ideologue. He read the ‘reporting” with slanted vision of what he wanted to see/read and as it deviated from his preconceived ideas ..he just made stuff up. The TU report/analysis was fairly balanced and as any good reporter knows… pointing out where confusion may occur on the part of the reader is important..notwithstanding commentary by NBC’s Chuck Todd.. who has stated on occasion that it isn’t his job to identify falsehood or lies if you prefer. Tkacyzk has demonstrated that she is up to the task of being a senator and I have been pleasantly surprised at her breadth and depth of the important issues before her. Even the NY Farm Bureau… not necessarily a progressive organization .. has indicated that she is doing a good job for the farming sector. I have met Amedore..the former assemblyman…and let me describe him using one word..unimpressive. If Cecilia is defeated by George, it will say more about us than we can imagine.

I bet the ad will not include George’s plan to purchase the Eagle Crest Golf Course and destroy this beautiful course to build homes. This the only reason he wants to be a politician / state senator, to ensure his business and pockets with continue to grow.

“I bet the ad will not include George’s plan to purchase the Eagle Crest Golf Course and destroy this beautiful course to build homes. This the only reason he wants to be a politician / state senator, to ensure his business and pockets with continue to grow.”
And in this endeavor he differs from most other political people how? I just don’t get it, every day we hear of another crooked politician caught with their hands in the cookie jar, or other places I won’t mention here, and as long as they are from the right political party they get a pass.
When I point out the fact that Amedore was merely touting his accomplishments and actions while in office I’m another Republican hack. Attack me for standing up for a person’s right to tout his past actions as a politician and you’re a good Democrat.
Still wondering what stuff I made up in my original comment.